Vertical former and stripper



Jan. 4 1927.

A. J. LEWIS VERTICAL FORMER AND STRIPPER Filed July 7. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 4,1927. ,613,281

A. J. LEWIS VERTICAL FORMER AND STRIPPER Filed July '7. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 4, 1927..

1;: f NlE S'lTES ARTHUR J". LEWIS, OF STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNQRTO THE BAKED MACHINE COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATIGN OF CONNECTICUT.

VERTICAL FORMER AND 'S'IRIPPER.

Application filed July 7,

This invention relates to wire or metal forming machines of the type of the so-called four-slide machines. Ordinarily in this type of machines the work is done by horizontally moving slides carrying the forming tools arranged about a central form, but it is often desirable to form out of a single plane. Heretofore this has not been possible with the regular machine without adding additional complicated mechanism or by various unsatisfactory attachments.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a device in this type of machine which will accomplish this result without the addition of additional mechanism, by using a device which is adapted to perform the two functions of vertical forming and stripping or ejecting the work from the form.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the construction illus trated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, similar reference characters being employed throughout the various figures to indicate corre sponding elements. In these drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a metal forming machine of the so-called four-slide type.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the same at one side of the central form.

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section taken at right angles to Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a view of the form and tools similar to Fig. 2 but showing the vertically moving former and the stripper in the lower position.

Fig. at is a horizontal section through the form just above the work showing the device as illustrated in Fig. 2.

F 5 is a partial side elevation and partial section of the form and vertically movable former showing a different arrangement of the stripping device.

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the stripper in the lower position.

F 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the use of different types of tools for different forming operations.

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing still different types of tools.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation and partial section of the central form showing a stripper and a former in operative position, and

1926. Serial No. 120,928

Fig. 10 shows the same device with the stripper in the lower position.

In the drawings is shown only a portion of the machine, but it is the type of ma chine known as the four slide machine similar to that illustrated in my prior Patent #992,890 granted May 23, 1911, and in which there is a central form about which the metal, such as a piece of wire, is formed by means of tools carried on horizontally reciprocable slides placed at suitable positions about the form. In the drawing the bed of the machine is indicated at 11 carrying suitable guides for the slides 12, 13, 14,

and 15, suitably positioned about the form 16, and which are operated by suitable mechanism, not shown, except in connection with the slide 14 which is operated by the cam 17 on the shaft 18. It is, of course, well known that in this type of machine each slide carries suitable forming tools which cooperate with the form 16 to bend the wire or piece of metal into the desired shapes, and it is also understood that these slides are operated in certain timedrelation with each other to perform these operations. It is apparent that the forming operations of these slides are all performed in a single and the horizontal plane. It is, however, often desirable to perform certain operations out of this plane, or that is, the ver tical plane, and this is what I have accomplished with my device, and I do it without adding complicated mechanism.

Mounted on the bed of the machine is an upright bracket 19v and this bracket is mounted foradjustment on the bed. A con venient means for doing this is to provide extension guides 20 on the bottom of this bracket fitting in guides 21 in the bed and provide elongated openings 22 in the feet of the bracket for the securing bolts 23, and also provide adjusting screws 24 .carried by the bracket and engaging opposite sides of this bolt to adjust the position of the bracket on the bed.

In the forward wall of this bracket is an upright groove 25 in which the body 26 of the form 16 is adjustably clamped by means of suitable clamps 28. It will, of course, be understood that-this form is given various shapes and sizes depending on the character of the work .to ,be performed and'that the wire indicated at 29, is bent aboutthis form by suitable tools carried by the slides 12,

13, 14 and 15. In the showing in Figs. 1 to 4 the form is substantially rectangular and the slide 12 carries a tool which when advanced toward the form, as indicated in Fig. 4, will bend the opposite sides of the wire against the opposite sides of the form.

Then tools 31 on slides 13 and 15 are advanced to the position shown'in Fig. 4 to lie under the side portions of this wire. If

these free ends, indicated at 32, are to be bent in the other plane it is best done by a vertically moving tool. In the showing of these figures these ends are bent down over the members 31, as shown in Fig. 2. by a tool 33 secured to the lower end of a vertically movable plunger 34 mounted to vertically reciprocate in the bracket 19. This reciprocating movement is imparted to this plunger by means of a lever 35 pivoted to the bracket 36 and carrying a roller or projection 37 seated in a transverse groove Figs. 1 and 2 an arm is secured to the top of the plunger and carries a rod 46 guided in the bracket 14 with its lower end above the work 29. The cam groove 43 is so shaped as to give a two step downward motion to the plunger and thus the tool and stripper carried thereby. The first step is shown at 47, Fig. 2, which is the forming step, and is used to cause the tool 33 to move downwardly to bend the free ends 32 of the wire over the tools 31. After this operation has been completed the plungeris held in this position by the groove of the cam, or if desired may be slightly raised to relieve the pressure on the work, until the tools 3031 are withdrawn from the work, and

then the second step 48 of the cam will give.

a further downward movement to the plunger 34 and with it the tool 33 and the stripper 46, which will then push or force the work downwardly off of and free it from the form 16. This position is shown in Fig. 3. The plunger and stripper are then drawn up to the upper position and the machine is ready for another cycle of operation. The line of feed of the wire is indicated at 49, and the wire is fed in at the proper time and cut off to the proper length in preparation for the forming operation by means of the usual feeding and cutting mechanism.

In Figs. 5 and 6 instead of mounting the stripper on the upper end of the plunger 34 this stripper, indicated at 50 secured to the lower end of the plunger and extends in proper position with relation to the form 16. A slightly dilierent form of tool 51 is carried by the plunger, but the operation is practically the same as that shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 7 the tools are shown for diiferent bending operations. Here the form 52 is of a different shape, and a different tool 53 is carried by the slide 12. Tiere is a single tool 54 in the slide 13, and a tool 55 carried by the plunger 34 extends to one side so as to bend the free end of the wire 56 over the tool 54. The stripper is indicated at 57 and is secured to the top of the plunger, as shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 8 the form 53 is of a still different shape, and the wire after being bent about this form by the tool 59 on slide 1 has long side portions extending under and back of the plunger. The tool 60 carried by the slides 13 and 15 are correspondingly shaped to extend to the rear of the plunger and then the tool 61 on the plunger is extended rearwardly and downwardly so as to bend the free ends of the wires over the rear wall of the tool 60. The stripper rod 46 operates the same, as shown in Fig. 2. In Figs. 9 and 10 the forming tool on the plunger 34 has been omitted, but a stripper 62 is shown as embracing the form 63 and it is secured to the lower end of the plunger and will operate upon suitable movements of the plunger to strip the work 64 from the form after it has been formed by the tools 65 on slide 12, or other tools.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that by this device I perform.

forming operations in the vertical plane, and do it without adding additional complicated mechanism, as the plunger 34 carrying the tool for this forming operation operated by the lever 35 which was formerly used to operate the stripper alone, and it will be apparent from the illustration in Fig. 10 that a large number of different forming operations may be performed by using different tools on the plunger 34. It is especially to be noted that by loosening the clamping screws 41 the plunger 34 may i be turned about its axis to bring the tool holding means of the plunger in different relative positions with respect to the form and the work to be done, and it may then be clamped in this position by the screws 41. This construction also allows for vertical adjustment of the plunger and the stripper and the location of the form in the horizontal plane may be adjusted by adjusting the position of the bracket 19. The block 39 is held from turning by means of a guide rod 66 (Fig. 2") secured to the block by any suitable means, as a set screw 67, and guided in an opening 68 in the bracket 19 as the block is reciprocated.

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Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, What I claim is:

1. In a metal forming machine, a form, a horizontally movable slide having a tool to cooperate With said form, a vertically movable plunger carrying a tool to cooperate with said form, a stripper carried by said plunger, and means to impart a tWo step movement to the plunger to first bring the tool into position for a forming operation and then to operate the stripper to strip the Work from the form.

2. In a metal forming machine, a form, a vertically movable plunger, a forming tool carried by the plunger, a stripper connected to the plunger, and means for operating the plunger with a two step movement to first perform a forming operation and then to strip the. finished Work.

3. In a metal forming machine, a form. a vertically movable plunger, means on the plunger for carrying a tool to cooperate With said form, means for mounting the plunger so that it may be turned about its axis to present the tool carrying means in different relations to the Work to be operated upon, and means for reciprocating the plunger.

at. In a metal forming machine, a form, a vertically movable plunger, means on the plunger for holding a tool to cooperate With said form, a stripper :to strip Work from the form connected to the plunger, means for mounting the plunger so that it may be turned about its axis to present the tool holding means in different relations to the form, and means for operating the plunger with a two step movement to first perform a forming operation and then to strip the Work from the form.

5. In a metal forming machine, a form, a iorizontally movable slide having means to hold a tool to cooperate With said form, a

vertically movable member having means for holding a forming tool, a stripper for removing Work from the form connected to said member, and means for moving said member to perform forming and stripping operations.

6. In a metal forming machine, a central form holder, horizontally movable tool carrying slides about. said holder, a verti' cally movable plunger carried by said holder, means on the plunger for carrying a forming tool, and a stripper for removing work from the form connected to said plunger,

7. In a metal forming machine, a form, a movable plunger, means at one end of the plunger for carrying a forming tool, means at the other end of the plunger for carrying a stripper to remove Work from the form said stripper being operated by movement of the plunger and means for operating the plunger to cause the forming tool and the stripper to function.

8. In a metal forming machine, a form, a movable plunger, means at one end of the plunger for carrying a forming tool, means at the other end of the plunger for carrying a stripper to remove Work from the form, and means for operating the plunger With a two step movement, the first for the forming operation and the second for the stripping operation.

9. In a metal forming machine, a form, a horizontally movable tool carrying slide at one side of the form, vertically movable plunger, means on the plunger for holding a tool, and means for moving the plunger in certain timed relation With the slide to per form a forming operation and then to strip the Work from the form.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ARTHUR J. LEWIS. 

